


Ashfur's Judgement

by SedatedDreams



Series: Warriors Characters' Spotlights [2]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Ashfur's Trial, Canon Compliant, Gen, Judgement, Manipulation, Missing Scene, One Shot, Squirrelflight's Hope, StarClan, StarClan Trial, ThunderClan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24655237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SedatedDreams/pseuds/SedatedDreams
Summary: After Ashfur dies, he expects to wake up in StarClan. But, he finds himself somewhere else: close, but not quite right. To get into his ancestors' hunting grounds, he has to face his trial first.(Rated T for mild language.)
Series: Warriors Characters' Spotlights [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1786174
Comments: 21
Kudos: 59





	Ashfur's Judgement

Ashfur awoke with a jerk.

_Where—where am I?_

He was lying in an unfamiliar golden field with a pale blue sky above. Surrounding him were soft yellow grasses, and although he felt no wind stirring his pelt, they swayed in an invisible breeze. Ashfur lifted his head from the ground and flinched as the last sensations he felt before waking up suddenly washed over him again.

Searing pain shrieking through his neck.

The hot gush of his own sticky blood flowing down his chest.

The cruel splash of icy water against his face as his legs gave out from under him.

_I'm… I'm dead! Hollyleaf killed me! That bastard she-cat!_

Ashfur's lips curled back in an ugly snarl, and he leapt to his paws, a million more insults for that terrible, treacherous she-cat and her deceitful, succubus for a mother, Squirrelflight, echoing in his head.

He snarled his rage to the empty sky, lashing out to score his claws through the dirt under him. He paced, his tail lashing in agitation and every hair down his back bristling.

He couldn't be dead! His plan wasn't finished! How would ThunderClan know about the traitors that they harbored in their midst, that poisoned the Clan from the inside!? How would Squirrelflight and Hollyleaf get what they deserved—

"Hello Ashfur."

Ashfur froze, his train of thought abruptly ending as the familiar voice sent a chill of icy water running down his spine. Ashfur turned towards her.

"Mother," he croaked.

It'd been so long since he last saw Brindleface, but she was right here, only fox-lengths away, just as he remembered her. Her soft grey flecked fur. Her sweet, floral scent. Ashfur's paws trembled, and he barely stopped himself from running to her and burying his face into her pelt like he was a little kit. She looked at him with gentle green eyes, but he saw pain swimming in their depths.

"Oh Ashfur," Brindleface said with a soft sigh. "What have you done?"

Ashfur felt the fur on the back of his neck rise defensively at the quiet accusation in her voice. But, he ignored her.

"Where are we Brindleface? Is this StarClan?" he meowed, his gaze flickering across the field.

It seemed strangely barren to be their ancestors' lush hunting grounds.

Brindleface shook her head.

"Not quite. We are in the In-between." Brindleface nodded at the crest of a hill in the distance. "Beyond that is StarClan's hunting grounds."

Ashfur's brow furrowed, his tail-twitching in confusion.

"The in-between?" he echoed. "The in-between what? Life and death?"

"No, Ashfur." Brindleface's voice was low. "You are dead. It's the In-between of StarClan and The Place of No-stars."

Ashfur opened his jaws to ask what The Place of No-stars was, but one look at his mother silenced him. Her expression was shadowed with a dark warning. Ashfur's tail twitched. He didn't need to ask anyway. He could guess well enough what it was based just on her expression and its name.

"Come with me," Brindleface murmured, and she started to walk towards the hill that StarClan was beyond.

Ashfur hesitated and shot a quick glance over his shoulder. In the distance behind him, he could see where the yellow fields sloped downwards and ended at an imposing wall of towering trees. The trees stretched as far left and right as he could see, and they seemed to continue on forever after that. Their trunks and branches were all a sickly grey color, and he could make nothing out in the spaces between them, only inky blackness. Ashfur shuddered, turned around and trotted after his mother.

"Why are we here?" Ashfur said when he caught up to her. "I thought all cats went to StarClan when they died."

"Not all cats," Brindleface murmured lightly, and Ashfur once again thought of The Place of No-stars, but Brindleface didn't elaborate further.

As they walked, Ashfur began to realize that they weren't as alone in this field as he first thought. In fact, in the distance, he saw many cats wandering around, but all of them were alone— no one had a companion like Ashfur did. He and Brindleface walked past a ginger tabby she-cat. They were only fox-lengths away from her, but she didn't even twitch an ear in their direction. She was pacing and muttering to herself.

"What are they doing?" Ashfur whispered to his mother in a low voice, but he doubted he would've caught the cat's attention even if he was yowling.

"Paying penance," Brindleface responded simply.

Ashfur felt the fur on his shoulders rise, and for the first time, he felt a trickle of cold fear in his heart.

"Penance?" he echoed, forcing his voice to remain steady.

Brindleface gave him a long look out of the corner of her eye.

"For their crimes in life," she murmured.

Ashfur swallowed hard, his heartbeat thumping in his ears.

They didn't speak any more until they padded over the crest of the hill, where a beautiful, verdant forest was revealed to Ashfur. His mouth started to water at the overwhelming prey-scent on the wind. The sound of birdsong echoed in his ears, and he heard a gentle breeze rustling through the vibrant green-leaf branches.

As Brindleface led him over the threshold of the forest, Ashfur took a deep breath of the sweet air, a sense of peace and belonging settling in his chest. It was a feeling he hadn't felt for seasons. Certainly not since Squirrelflight at least, but maybe it was longer ago than that, to the old forest, or even farther back… since Brindleface's death. It felt like coming home.

Ashfur cast a glance at his mother. He blinked in surprise to see that stars glittered around her paws and whiskers now. His glanced down at his own feet, but his paws were the same dull grey as ever.

"I'm taking you to your trial," Brindleface spoke suddenly.

Ashfur's ears pricked, wariness nipping at his pelt.

"What's that?" he meowed cautiously.

"Your life will be judged by a group of StarClan cats to see if you are fit to enter the hunting grounds of our ancestors." Brindleface's voice was flat, carefully devoid of emotion.

The deep feeling of peace in his chest shattered, and Ashfur felt the beginnings of panic stir in his belly instead. He licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry.

"And, if I'm found unworthy?" he said after a pause.

"Then your punishment will be decided," Brindleface muttered. "You will be sent to the In-between or The Place of No-stars."

Ashfur nodded slowly, his face a mask of calm, but his blue gaze frantically flittered around the forest as if he was looking for a route to escape. But, this was all StarClan's forest. Where could he hide from them?

His mother glanced at him out of the corner of her eye again. It was a measured, slow look, and Ashfur shivered, unable to shake the feeling that she was staring into the depths of his heart.

"You should consider yourself lucky Ashfur," she murmured, her voice low and urgent. "That you have the privilege to speak in your defense. Many cats have already deemed you unworthy. If it wasn't for the fact that I vouched for you, your fate would've already been decided."

Ashfur swallowed hard, his throat dry.

He knew that he _maybe_ _technically_ broke some rules of the Warrior Code. But, all of it was for good reason.

_They must understand that Squirrelflight needed to be punished! I only wanted to make her suffer as much as I did. Also her adopted spawn aren't even real ThunderClan cats. Who knows where they're from really. So, how can the Warrior Code apply to them?! Hollyleaf murdered me for Stars' sake!_

"Will you be in the group of judges?" he asked, a hopeful edge to his mew.

Brindleface narrowed her eyes and gave a bitter purr.

"No. I think I made my biases much too clear for that," she muttered, turning her gaze from him.

"We're here."

They entered into a small, somber clearing, and the sound of birdsong seemed to dim to match the mood of the place, although Ashfur wasn't sure if he had just imagined the difference.

There were six other cats here, all glimmering with starlight like his mother and sitting in a semi-circle, waiting for them. The four cats Ashfur recognized were all ones he hadn't seen in seasons. Directly in front of him were Swiftpaw and Shrewpaw, sitting close enough together that Swiftpaw's black-and-white pelt brushed with Shrewpaw's deep brown one. On Shrewpaw's other side was Rainwhisker. Ashfur searched his old friend's face, trying to find a spark of warmth there, but Rainwhisker turned his gaze away when he made eye contact with Ashfur. On the other side of Swiftpaw was Yellowfang. Ashfur was surprised to see that the medicine cat looked as grizzled and weathered as the last time he saw her, even though all the other cats here had youthful sheens to their pelts, regardless of what age they were when they died.

The cat sitting on Yellowfang's other side was one that he didn't recognize. He was a pale brown tom, and his fur was sleek in a way Ashfur found reminiscence of RiverClan pelts. The cat at the other end of the semi-circle, at Rainwhisker's side, was a striking golden speckled she-cat. Ashfur sensed there was some sort of bad-blood between her and the tom at the far end of the line, judging by the way she was sneering and side-eying him.

"The she-cat you don't know is Frecklewish of ThunderClan. And, the tom, Appledusk of RiverClan," Brindleface murmured to him.

Ashfur nodded. He had no idea who these cats were, or if they could help him, but at least he knew their names now.

"Ashfur," Swiftpaw spoke, making Ashfur blink in surprise.

He sounded much older and wiser than Ashfur remembered him.

"Um… yes?" Ashfur meowed hesitantly.

Brindleface bowed her head to the group of cats and silently backed away from Ashfur, causing a jolt of panic in his chest. He wanted her to stay with him.

"You are here to answer for your actions in life," Swiftpaw continued.

He cut a commanding silhouette with his short black-and-white fur sleek, his head held high, and his amber eyes narrowed. Ashfur couldn't help but think about how different he seemed from when they were apprentices and friends together in life. He had been so hot-headed and impulsive then, and nothing like the collected cat that sat before him now.

"You have broken the Warrior Code." Swiftpaw's voice echoed throughout the clearing. "You conspired with Hawkfrost, an enemy warrior, against your Clan. You helped him take one of Firestar's lives in a fox-trap. You threatened the lives of three of your clan-mates. You have betrayed your warrior vows to protect and defend your Clan. What do you say in your defense?"

A thousand excuses were on the tip of Ashfur's tongue, and he wanted to shout them all out.

_It was all to punish Squirrelflight! She is one that should be held accountable, not me! And, one of those so-called 'clan-mates' I threatened is the reason that I'm here now! She killed me! Isn't that against the Warrior Code too?! I've always been a good warrior to ThunderClan. It was Squirrelflight that led me astray. If she never existed, everything would've been fine!_

But, instead Ashfur took a sharp breath in through his nose.

 _Think. Think._ He told himself.

He'd gotten himself out of tighter spots than this before. When he watched blasted Brambleclaw turn on Hawkfrost, Ashfur thought for sure the slimy RiverClan warrior would out him to the Clan, and he'd be skinned alive. But, Ashfur had run to get Squirrelflight and Leafpool for help. A traitor wouldn't rush in with back-up to rescue the same leader he tried to kill, would he?

Ashfur could lie. He could hide his thoughts. He could be patient. Oh, he was the most patient cat alive…

_Uh…_

…Cat that _used_ to be alive. So many moons he spent planning his sweet revenge on Squirrelflight. How many nights he spent awake, day-dreaming about it. And, no one suspected a thing. Loyal, faithful Ashfur until the end. He could get himself out of this too. The StarClan cats couldn't know everything. They couldn't know his thoughts. If they did, then why did they have a trial at all?

He could get out of this.

He repeated that thought in his mind, cradling it close like a tiny kitten.

Ashfur crouched down, flattening his ears in shame and widening his blue eyes appealingly up at Swiftpaw.

"I— I— I couldn't help it!" he stammered. "Squirrelflight—"

Ashfur let his voice break in a sob over the word.

"She broke my heart."

The words vibrated with genuine emotion now as he unleashed the tide of the pain he felt inside. It would be useful to him, all he had to do was channel it correctly.

Ashfur screwed his eyes shut.

"I was out of my mind with grief. She was the love of my life. I couldn't stand to see her with another—"

"How exactly was killing Firestar supposed to win Squirrelflight back to you?" Rainwhisker snapped sharply.

Ashfur had a powerful urge to send a burning, narrowed look at his former friend for the interruption. But, he resisted, turning big, watery blue eyes on him instead.

"Hawkfrost took advantage of me," Ashfur gasped. "He lied to me. He saw my fragile state, and he twisted it to suit his own dark ambitions. I knew he was working with Brambleclaw, and I had hoped that through the situation Hawkfrost concocted, Squirrelflight would see that Brambleclaw was working against ThunderClan with his half-brother. But, I never guessed he wanted to destroy Firestar. When I saw that Hawkfrost's true intentions were to snuff out all of his lives, I went back for help immediately."

Ashfur's lip quavered, his ears flat against his head.

"And, what about the fire?" Shrewpaw asked, his voice low.

Ashfur glanced at his nephew.

"You said then that you wanted Firestar to die so Squirrelflight would feel pain," Shrewpaw growled.

Ashfur shamefully lowered his eyes from Shrewpaw to stare down at the ground.

"That was a reprehensible lie I told her in the heat of the moment to bring her pain," he admitted. "I would never actually want to kill Firestar."

"Still that doesn't explain the fact that you were willing to kill three innocent cats in a fire to get revenge on her!" the stranger she-cat, Frecklewish, hissed.

_Innocent!? That blind, sullen drain on the Clan? That unbearable apprentice? That she-devil that killed me!?_

Ashfur almost spat in disgust at the thought. But, he controlled his expression tightly, turning to look at her.

"I was enraged from the agony of my broken heart, yes," he admitted, his voice rasping with shame.

_If I give them some victories maybe they won't push too hard at my defenses._

"But, I never would've killed them."

He turned pleading eyes on the she-cat, searching for a hint of leniency in her features.

"Once I started to come back to my senses, I let them go," he meowed. "Or, do you think I truly believed that Squirrelflight didn't love the cats that she raised since kit-hood?"

 _That's not true. That succubus doesn't love anyone._ The thought hissed automatically, unbidden, but Ashfur sent it away with a flick of his ears.

"Ashfur wouldn't be the first nor the last cat to do something foolish under the thrall of a she-cat," a new voice spoke softly.

Ashfur turned to the defense eagerly. It was the pale brown RiverClan tom, Appledusk. But, before Ashfur could say anything, Frecklewish had curled her lip up at Appledusk in a derisive snarl.

"I can't believe you're defending the cat that murdered you," she hissed. "I mean, you're scum, but this is a whole new kind of pathetic."

Appledusk widened his eyes at Frecklewish.

"I would _never_ defend Mapleshade," he spat furiously. "This is _Ashfur's_ trial."

"And, you can't see the similarities?!" Frecklewish accused. "The whole 'mad with grief from their broken hearts' defense? We're _their_ victims."

She flicked her tail at Ashfur, apparently indicating him and this 'Mapleshade.'

"They're not the same!" Appledusk protested. "Mapleshade killed three cats in cold blood. Ashfur killed none."

"Well, except for one ninth of Firestar, debatably," Rainwhisker chimed in.

Ashfur's eyes narrowed slightly. He apparently still didn't have Rainwhisker's support.

Frecklewish snorted at Appledusk's words.

"Like he wouldn't've done it if he had a half a chance," she hissed, glaring at Ashfur. "Or, if he wasn't such a coward."

Ashfur kept his face carefully blank. Frecklewish turned her gaze back onto Appledusk.

"Like you," she added with a growl, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him. "What's a code breaker like you doing on this trial anyway?"

Appledusk opened his mouth to defend himself, his lip curled up furiously.

 _"Enough,"_ Yellowfang's rasping voice cut in.

She glared at the two older cats.

"Compose yourselves," she growled. "This isn't a petty squabble. The fate of this cat's spirit hangs in the balance."

"What do you think, Yellowfang?" Swiftpaw's voice rumbled. "You have been silent on this thus far."

Yellowfang paused for a moment.

"It is clear to me that Ashfur has threatened to do some terrible things," she rasped. "But, if we look at the bigger picture, and see the end results, how much bad did he bring into the world, truly? Firestar lost a life, yes, but that was clearly much more Hawkfrost's and Tigerstar's doing than Ashfur's. Perhaps Ashfur's only crime was loving too much."

 _ **"Fox-dung,"** _Frecklewish spat.

Yellowfang ignored her.

"Ashfur did much good in his life too," she continued. "When he was only an apprentice, he helped remove the dog pack from ThunderClan territory. The same one that claimed your life, as I'm sure you recall, Swiftpaw."

She shot a quick glance at the black-and-white tom. Swiftpaw dipped his head to her briefly.

"He also helped drive BloodClan from the forest," Yellowfang rasped. "And, fought bravely in numerous other battles, loyally for ThunderClan. Perhaps he deserves a second chance to prove that there is more good left in his heart than pain and anger."

Hope fluttered in Ashfur's chest, and he nodded at Yellowfang emphatically, almost afraid to speak and interrupt the scales that seemed to be slowly tipping in his favor.

Swiftpaw arched a brow at Yellowfang.

"So, you vote he's allowed in?" Swiftpaw asked.

Yellowfang bowed her head in an affirmative. Swiftpaw glanced at the rest of the group.

"What do you all say?" he meowed.

"Yes," Appledusk said, closely followed by a hissed _"No!"_ from Frecklewish.

Swiftpaw glanced at Rainwhisker. Ashfur followed his gaze. Rainwhisker's blue eyes met Ashfur's.

"The cat I've seen for the past few seasons isn't the one that I remember," Rainwhisker whispered. "I want to believe my friend is still in there. But, I can't forgive you for… for… Well, if not for what _you've done,_ then for what you _threatened_ to do. I'm sorry. But, no."

He looked away from him, and Ashfur hated how his words stung.

"Shrewpaw?" Swiftpaw murmured.

Shrewpaw looked at Ashfur measuredly, and a long silence stretched between them. Ashfur found himself holding his breath. If he got a third 'No,' he'd be damned.

"It would kill my mother to know that her brother wasn't in StarClan," Shrewpaw meowed finally. "Yes."

"It looks like the deciding vote is up to me then," Swiftpaw murmured.

Ashfur stared at him, trying to read the intentions in his face. Swiftpaw gazed back, seeming like he was trying equally as hard to divine his thoughts in return.

"Ashfur, do you regret your actions?" Swiftpaw meowed suddenly.

Ashfur's paws trembled, and his chest heaved as his tightly controlled emotions slipped from his grip and washed over him.

He braced his paws against the ground to steady himself.

 _I regret that I let myself love Squirrelflight. I regret that I couldn't ruin her. I regret that I couldn't make her feel the terrible pain I did,_ **_that I still do._ **

He clenched his jaw and bit the inside of his cheek until he could taste blood. All his muscles vibrated with tension under his pelt. He felt like yowling or killing something or sobbing. Maybe all three at once.

"Yes," Ashfur breathed, digging his claws into the ground. "If I could go back, I'd do _everything_ different."

Swiftpaw studied him quietly for a moment longer before he started to nod. It seemed like he believed him. Which was good because every single word in that last sentence was true.

"Alright Ashfur," Swiftpaw said. "Welcome to StarClan."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a Kudos if you enjoyed it and a comment letting me know what you think!
> 
> (PS: For those that haven't read it, this StarClan trial scene is based off of the one in "Squirrelflight's Hope." And, I modeled the "In-between" limbo off of the field that Ivypaw first meets Hawkfrost in.)


End file.
